Shusha nominated for Cultural Capital of Turkic World

On September 16, the Uzbek city of Khiva hosted the 38th session of the Permanent Council of TURKSOY - the International Organization of the Turkic Culture.

Report informs, citing the Ministry of Culture, that Uzbekistan's Deputy Prime Minister Aziz Abdulhakimov, Minister of Culture Ozodbek Nazarbekov, Secretary-General of the Turkic Council Baghdad Amreyev, TURKSOY Secretary General Dusen Kaseinov, Hungarian Foreign Minister Pietro Szijjarto, TurkPA Secretary-General Altinbek Mamayusupov, Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, Kyrgyz Minister of Culture, Science, Sports and Youth Kairat Imanaliyev, Kazakhstan's Minister of Culture and Sports Nurkissa Daueshov and others spoke at the event.

Azerbaijan's Minister of Culture stressed the importance of the protection and promotion of the Turkic culture and heritage, further strengthening of solidarity and mutual understanding among the Turkic states. He underlined the significance of promoting the historical and cultural heritage of the Turkic nations, their literature, and common values in the international arena.

The minister thanked TURKSOY, the Turkic Council, and Turkic-speaking states for their support of Azerbaijan during the 44-day Patriotic War.

Highly appreciating TURKSOY's services in promoting prominent figures of the Turkic world, Anar Karimov stressed the organization's attention to the well-known literary and cultural figures of Azerbaijan. He said that TURKSOY made 2017 the "Year of Molla Panah Vagif", 2018 the "Year of Gara Garayev", 2019 the "Year of Imadeddin Nasimi", as well as held various events dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Hasan Seyidbeyli in 2020 and Mikayil Abdullayev in 2021:

"The opening ceremony of the 'Year of Nizami', the opening of an exhibition dedicated to the 100th anniversary of People's Artist of the USSR Mikayil Abdullayev, and the organization of other events during my visit to Turkey in March this year are an indication of TURKSOY's unique role in the development and promotion of Turkish culture. We also consider it important to dedicate 2022 to the 100th anniversary of the birth of the People's Artist of the USSR, prominent composer Fikret Amirov within TURKSOY. At the same time, within the framework of the Turkic world cultural programs, we propose to declare the city of Shusha, one of the ancient cultural centers of Azerbaijan, the 'Cultural Capital of the Turkic World' for 2023."

The minister noted that by order of President Ilham Aliyev, Shusha was declared the capital of Azerbaijani culture: "During the visit of the head of ICESCO to our country earlier this year, an initiative was put forward to display Shusha the 'Capital of Islamic Culture'. TURKSOY's announcement of Shusha as the 'Capital of Culture of the Turkic World' for 2023 will be another indication of the Turkish-Islamic world's attention to the cultural richness of the ancient city of Azerbaijan."

Anar Karimov stressed that after a long break, in May of 2021, the traditional "Kharibulbul" festival was held in the Jidir Duzu - Shusha, which is sacred to every Azerbaijani.

"We have been looking forward to that day for 30 years, we have been craving for homeland for 30 years. We have restored this wonderful tradition, and from now on, the festival 'Kharibulbul' will be held in Shusha every year. Representatives of different nations living in our country spoke at this year's festival, showing that all Azerbaijan peoples live in friendship, brotherhood, and solidarity," the minister said.

"At the same time, the the Heydar Aliyev Foundation restored the 39-year-old tradition of celebrating the Vagif Poetry Days in our ancient city after the liberation of Shusha from occupation. After 29 years, his compatriots came again to see the great poet, thinker, and statesman of his time, Mollah Panah Vagif. The mausoleum of the poet was reopened. President Ilham Aliyev's declaration of Shusha as the cultural capital of Azerbaijan, the restoration of the Kharibulbul Music Festival, and Vagif Poetry Days became a celebration of cultural life not only in Shusha but in independent Azerbaijan."

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Minister of Culture Anar Karimov nominated Shusha for the "Cultural Capital of the Turkic World" in 2023 at the 38th ministerial meeting in Khiva, Uzbekistan.

"I attended the 38th ministerial meeting in Khiva and spoke about our country's cooperation with the organization, the destruction of historical and cultural monuments in Karabakh, and the Patriotic War," Karimov tweeted.